Cycling
Tips for Finding Budget Accommodation in Japan
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Which Accommodation is right for me?
When I came to Japan in 2023 I had in mind already that I would be camping, but also that there would be times that I would stay in accommodation. There’s lots of good reasons to mix it up in Japan, and not just stick to a single method of stay. I’ve stayed in the cheaper versions of most styles of lodging you could think of, from business hotels, ryokans, hostels and to once even a love hotel, which you’ll have to do your own research on if you haven’t heard of it before.
Some of the most meaningful cultural experiences I’ve had in Japan were in hostels, between the owners and other guests I’ve met. Some of the people I met I even visited in their home cities later on, and stay in contact with them now. While camping is cheaper in general, as I don’t visit many museums or touristy places anymore, the experiences in guest houses have been irreplaceable.
Camping has also been a very unique experience in Japan. There are many, many free campsites, which I have now compiled into a map for easy use. Some of them are in the most beautiful places I’ve visited, and the people I’ve met are always friendly and occasionally will gift me some coffee or a snack to fuel me on. Besides this it has given me the opportunity to see how camping fits into Japanese culture, and the amazing way some of them travel.
Camping (Tent)
￥０ - ￥2500 per night
What is considered camping in Japan?
With campsites numbering into the thousands, it’s not hard to find places to camp in Japan. While some people choose to wild camp, it is technically prohibited and in the face of increased anti-tourist actions by Japan I’d prefer to give advice on how to use the completely legal and well-maintained free campsites that can be used. To help with this I’ve put together a free campsite list that also marks out cheaper sites.
The difference between a free campsite and wild camping is that these sites are run by the local governments and businesses, so are maintained and have at least some access to bathrooms. The water is not always potable, but most sites have a vending machine nearby which will have bottles of water and coffee. I’ve only visited one free site that had a coin shower, so I made sure to utilise the local Onsen’s on these days.
It is a common sight across the country to see families set up with enough tents to make a small house and get situated for a couple of days, including BBQ pits that they brought themselves.
Free Campsites 
Wildcamping 
Under ￥1000 🔴 Over ￥1000 (1 person + tent)
Do I need to reserve in advance?
While on my map I’ve tried to leave notes on most sites to say if they require reservation or not, I’ve only once had a situation where I’ve turned up unannounced to a site and not been able to camp there. A couple of times the sites have looked to be closed, but the people who worked there that came to chat to me weren’t bothered by me being there.
Lots of paid campsites also don’t require reservations, especially if you only plan to use the free site. On occasion I’ve visited paid sites without a manager that just have a box for you to leave the fee into. Before visiting any campsite I make sure to read the reviews and use google translate on their website if I can, especially as natural accidents occur quite often and some places can become completely inaccessible.
How does the pricing work?
Every paid site is a little different and worth checking the website of before arriving, but in general sites will calculate their fee by number of people + number of tents. If the campsite uses sites, there will probably be a vehicle charge as well. There is huge variation site to site on cost, I’ve paid as little as ￥300 and as much as ￥2500.
What about water and showers?
Unfortunately there’s no uniformity with this across Japan. Most free sites I’ve been to do not have potable water, and generally don’t have access to coin showers onsite. Occasionally they will have an Onsen nearby, but most are located in more remote areas on the outskirts of Japan.
There is always access to a toilet, but occasionally the only one available will be a Japanese squat toilet, and there may be a smell if you’re in an area where pipes freeze for winter as they have self contained systems. Most the sites, paid or otherwise will also have “kitchens” which are undercover sinks to wash dishes and BBQ pits.
Paid campsites will usually have either a coin shower, or an Onsen within walking distance that they offer a discount to. The Onsen’s are also a great place to get a hot meal and relax for some of the evening.
What about electricity?
I have only found one campsite in Japan so far that will allow you electricity access without using a powered site. I’ve taken the opportunity to plug in to bathrooms, and come back to my items unplugged and taken back to the reception desk, a very humbling experience when you can’t speak much of the language. Now I carry around 3 days worth of power banks that I charge the next time I sleep inside.
How to find campsites?
I like to keep it simple, and have overlayed my free campsite map over the top of my Google Maps. Generally I will go through and check what’s around my desired spot, and if there’s nothing something right off the bat, type in “キャンプ場”, which is Campsite in Japanese, to see if there’s some more around that might be viable. I always make sure to open the campsites website and check the conditions, such as business hours, if they require reservations and what the fees are. There’s a button in the setting section of Google Chrome on mobile that allows you to translate any page, though if it’s an image it might need to be screenshotted and moved to google translate.
Hostels/Guest Houses (Dorms)
￥2500 - ￥5000 per night
What is a hostel in Japan like?
The Japanese hostel experience is far from the one I was used to in Europe, most of them are modern, clean and very quiet. I’ve been told the experience in Tokyo and Osaka can be quite different due to the density of foreign tourists, but in most other cities I found the most the other guests were Japanese. I had to put the name hostel and guest house together as in Japan they are usually synonymous, most likely difference in the way the word had been translated over.
Hostels and Guest Houses in Japan normally have a mixed dorm, a female form and a few private rooms. In general you will have access to a microwave, kettle and fridge, and often nothing else, including cutlery, so make sure to take the offered chopsticks with your meals. I’ve also stayed in hostels with full kitchens, so it’s worth checking the listing when you’re booking if it’s important to you.
While the cheapest places will have basic bunkbeds you can find anywhere, most moderately prices places around ￥3000+ a night have a bed that’s more like a pod, and can be really comfortably sized. Generally guests in Japanese hostels are pretty quiet as well, so even in rooms that fit 20 people it’s been completely quiet at night except for the random woman blow-drying her hair at midnight.
What to book using?
I’ve had success booking through a few different methods, but this is definitely the default I’ve started going with. If you type in “Hotels” into Google Maps it’s now possible to adjust by date, price and amount of people to find correlated prices from most of the main booking sites. These include Booking.com, Jalan.net, Yahoo Travel, Rurubu Travel, Agoda, Blue Pillow. This is also the order in which I book using them most often. I generally completely avoided using Agoda and Blue Pillow as I find their listings inconsistent and often not actually there at all.
What if I'm travelling with a bike?
I always spend some time while choosing accommodation making sure there is somewhere safe to leave my bike, usually either a private car park or somewhere indoors. By going through the reviews and photos put up on google maps it’s usually possible to get an idea of if there will be somewhere appropriate to leave a bike, and I always carry a D lock.
I’ve also heard of people using Rinko bags in Japan, a compact soft bike bag you can store your bag in, and take it inside of most places. This may not be feasible in all places, as some of them don’t have much space for that much luggage, or may not have access with such a large item.
What is provided for me?
The showers in hostels always have Shampoo and Body Soap in the showers, and occasionally Conditioner as well. While some places have free to use towel, I sometimes run into places that towels are rental items. Usually simple amenities like razors and earplugs are for sale cheaply as well.
Are my valuables secure?
Most hostels will provide at least a small valuables locker, that will generally fit anything important you have with you inside. Usually I have kept everything inside of my bunk, and in months of staying in hostels I have never had anything stolen from me.
Business Hotels (Private Room)
￥4000 - ￥8000 per night
What is a Business Hotel?
Low-budget, no frills accommodation in Japan that is mainly geared towards solo travellers how will be in town for less than a week. Usually the room is very narrow, with a bed, desk and fridge, and a bathroom that has a toilet, sink, bath and shower. Sometimes there is an included breakfast or public bath available as well, as an added bonus.
I always try to make sure to book a non-smoking room where I can, as especially in older hotels the smell can be pretty strong.
What to book using?
Very similar to the booking websites I use or Hostels, though I probably book using Japanese sites more often for these ones. The most common ones are Jalan.net, Booking.com, Yahoo Travel and Rurubu Travel. Jalan.net has an English page if opened on web browser, and most other websites are manageable using Google Translate, though there can be a lot of flipping about.
What if I'm travelling with a bike?
Similar to the process with hostels, I always make sure to look online at other reviews and scope out photos. Quite often hotels have their own carpark, which can mean either a lot with camera, or sometimes even an undercover area where they keep their own rental bikes. Only once or twice in Japan have I been offered to bring my bike into my room, more commonly they will allow me to keep it in the entranceway to the building which is in sight of reception.
I always make sure to lock my bike up and chuck a tarp over it, no matter where I am.
Ryokans/Guest Houses (Private Room)
￥5000 - ￥9000 + per night
What is a Ryokan? How is it different from a Guest House?
Ryokans are Traditional Japanese Inns, and while most are at the upper end of my budget, occasionally I’ll find an older one in my range and have a little treat for a couple of days. I tend to find the hosts of these kinds of places the most curious about what you’re up to, and with often invite you to have some coffee and a snack. Most of them have breakfast or dinner available for a little extra money.
I also included Guest Houses as I’ve stayed in a few that are very similar in style to Ryokans. These ones do not have dorms, and usually just have a few rooms for guests, but tend to not be as old. I tend to find with these places that it is good to communicate with them well about arrival times as they are usually run by a couple or family.
The bathroom facilities are generally shared, and the shower can only be used during waking hours as the houses are quite old and they can be quite loud.
What to book using?
A lot of these places have their own websites that they need to be booked through, some of which appear in a Google Maps search. Other than this, I probably still use the same sites as usual, Booking.com, Jalan.net and Yahoo Travel.
What if I'm travelling with a bike?
As most Ryokans are usually a whole house, and generally will have a garage or outdoor area where a bike can be kept without too much trouble. In one case I was allowed to keep my bike inside my room, though this isn’t common.